Breakdown of Zorlu sınavda öğrencilerin sabrı sınanıyor.
sınav
the exam
öğrenci
the student
-da
in
sabır
the patience
Questions & Answers about Zorlu sınavda öğrencilerin sabrı sınanıyor.
What does the suffix -da in sınavda indicate?
The -da here is the locative case suffix, one of Turkish’s six case endings. It shows “in/at/during.” Because sınav ends in a back vowel a, the suffix harmonizes to -da, so sınavda means “in the exam” or “during the exam.”
How is zorlu formed, and why not just zor?
zorlu = zor (hard/difficult) + adjective-forming suffix -lu (having/with). The result means “full of difficulty,” i.e. “challenging” or “tough.” Vowel harmony makes it -lu (rather than -li/-lü) because zor has a back rounded vowel.
Why is öğrencilerin in the genitive case?
Turkish marks possession by:
- Putting the possessor in the genitive with -in/-ın/-ün/-n.
- Adding a possessive suffix on the possessed noun.
Here, öğrenci- plural -ler
- genitive -in → öğrencilerin = “of the students.”
- plural -ler
Why does end with ? Is it accusative, possessive, or both?